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COPWIGHT DEPOSnv 



TRAVELING SCHOOL OF 
SEVEN ABROAD 




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STUDY, WORK AND PLEASURE 

IN FOREIGN LANDS. THE RE- 

^VRITTEN DIARY OF AN 

AMERICAN STUDENT 

AND SIGHTSEER 

BY 

ARTHUR W. O'NEIL 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 

MADE AND SECURED ABROAD 

BY THE AUTHOR 

tit ttn 



boston: 
the c. m. clark publishing co. 

boston, MASSACHUSETTS 



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Copyright, 1910 

THE C. M. CLARK PUBLISHING CO. 

Boston, Massachusetts 

U. S. A. 



^CIA2?3578 



To My Father, 

whose sincere interest 

in my life and my future made 

possible the enjoyment 

of the things herein described, 

this book is 

dedicated. 




HOW IT HAPPENED 

|N offering this book to the 
public, I would say that it is 
the first I have ever written. 
It is in narrative form the 
record of the travels of a class of boys 
through Europe, visiting a large number 
of places not usually included in the itin- 
erary of American tourists. That was 
a trip I wish every boy could take ; to us 
it was full of new and novel interest from 
start to finish. I hope that every reader 
of my book will find something of in- 
terest, and perhaps profit, in it, and if this 
hope is realized I shall be satisfied with 

the effort. Arthur W. O'Neil 

Wallace, Idaho. 





CONTENTS 




CHAPTEHS 




PAOEB 


I. 


The Ocean Voyage 


1 


II. 


England 


7 


III. 


France . 


32 


IV. 


Monaco 


. 50 


V. 


Italy . 


53 


VI. 


Austria 


83 


VII. 


Germany 


86 


VIII. 


Belgium 


95 




Cijapter 0nt 

THE OCEAN VOYAGE 

S THE heart of Christopher 
Columbus throbbed and flut- 
tered in the expectancy of a 
long cherished hope's fulfil- 
ment when he sailed from Genoa; as the 
heart of Alexander thrilled when he 
buckled on his armor to go forth and con- 
quer a new world now and then, and 
come home lamenting in the fear that he 
had overlooked a few — so rose the hopes 
and expectations of a band of more youth- 
ful but no less ambitious and determined 
explorers that sailed from Boston Harbor, 
Saturday, October 10, 1908, on the White 
Star Line steamer Cymric, to spend 
eight months in travel and study under 
a tutor in the old world countries and 
cities. 



The party was led by Professor Trotter, 
and included seven boys ranging in age 
from seventeen to twenty years. Each was 
filled with a desire for learning and resolu- 
tions to have a good time, and loaded 
down with good wishes and many last 
instructions as to conduct, care of health, 
how often to write, etc., from the "folks 
at home." Those who made up the 
party were Professor and Mrs. Trotter, 
both ever thoughtful and watchful of 
the interests and welfare of their charges; 
Hewston Knight, pretending an inability 
to comprehend certain subjects, but who, 
nevertheless, always came out at the top 
of the class ; Benjamin Dare, amusing and 
always finding something to be amused 
at; Albion Westman, the party athlete 
and enthusiastic seeker after antiquities; 
Tom Stanley — the scribe, we dubbed 
him, for he was invariably writing letters 
when a brief respite from sightseeing or 
study permitted; Fred Matthews, whose 
fondness for his "beauty sleep" in the 
mornings got him into frequent trouble, 
but who was the widest awake of the 




l^ 



bunch as soon as it was borne in upon 
him that there was to be no more snooz- 
ing; Arthur Brooks, who spent much 
time in scientifically spacing out his 
home letters to cover the maximum of 
white paper with the minimum amount 
of writing; Mr. George Phillips, assistant 
instructor, whose interest in his Baedeker 
was marked; and myself, to whom the 
others in the party — barring Professor 
Trotter and his wife — assigned the pseu- 
donym of "Kink." I never knew why, 
but they said it was in recognition of 
my ability to remember details connected 
with royal households and personages 
of Europe. 

As the Cymric sailed at eleven, we 
were all on hand at ten, and were assigned 
to our several staterooms by courteous 
stewards. The day was ideal, and this 
gave an added pleasure to all of us, 
sailing so far from home and friends 
for the first time. 

Albion and myself, having a state- 
room together, and no friends at the 
wharf to say or wave adieu, spent the 
3 



remaining hour in preliminary examina- 
tion of the splendid boat that was 
to carry us across the big, wet way. 
She was a thirteen thousand-ton vessel, 
and seemed large, indeed, to us. We 
have seen far larger since, but we were 
tenderfeet then, in the ways of the 
traveler. 

At last the warning gong sounded, 
the big whistle blew a terrific blast, 
different toned bells rang in all parts 
of the ship, and slowly, very slowly, 
at first, we began to pull away from 
the Charlestown dock. I shall never 
see a sight, except when I am ready to 
start on my next trans-oceanic voyage, 
more impressive in its way than was 
revealed to our delighted gaze on that 
clear, cool October morning. Yet amid 
the thousands of waving handkerchiefs 
and hats one could see here and there 
a sad face amid the throng that lined 
the wharf, and these often found their 
reflections among those on board the 
Cymric, 

After the tug left us, and we were on 
4 



our way under full steam, we all went 
down to the dining saloon and were 
assigned our lessons for Monday; for 
it should be remembered that this trip 
was not taken solely in the interests 
of pleasure or sightseeing, but was de- 
signed to supplement the studies each 
of the party was making; and during 
all the time we were gone from home 
our lessons formed the important feature 
in the daily routine. We spent little 
time here on this day, however, as some 
of the party were already beginning to 
feel perceptibly the effects of the heaving 
motion of the ship. For those of us 
who were able to enjoy it, the interesting 
game of shuffleboard helped to pass 
the afternoon hours most en joy ably, while 
the passengers were getting acquainted 
with each other and with their new 
surroundings. 

Our trip was pleasant all the way 
across. We met many nice people, and 
in consequence of this and the novelty 
of traveling by ocean boat we enjoyed 
every moment of the time, even when 

5 



we were asleep; for one sleeps without 
difficulty on the salt water. The days 
passed quickly, with our daily studies and 
our varied amusements, the former taking 
most of our time. 

When the Cymric arrived at Queens- 
town, we took deep interest in the dis- 
embarkation of many of the passengers 
whose destination was the Emerald Isle. 
Some were happy in meeting friends and 
relatives, since they had been separated 
for many long years. 

After passing Queenstown we still 
had a day and a night before we were 
to disembark. In the hurry of prepara- 
tions, packing scattered belongings, ex- 
citement and impatience reigned through- 
out the vessel. The morning the Cymric 
swung into her slip at Liverpool the 
inevitable fog prevailed, but it was not 
sufficient to dampen our spirits in any 
degree. The trial of passing through 
the customs house was soon over, and 
to our hotel, the Bear's Paw, we went 
on the first step of our journey through 

the old world. 

6 




Cfjapter i;toa 

ENGLAND 

Liverpool — Chester — Warwick — Kenil- 

worth — Stratford — Eton — 

London — Winchester 

E were ready in a short time 
to do some of our first sight- 
seeing, and started out for a 
two-hour walk around the city. 
After going through the pubHc gardens, 
in which there are a number of heroic 
statues of famous men, we passed St. 
George's Hall, a kind of city building 
with large music auditorium where on 
Saturday afternoons pipe-organ recitals 
of a high order are given, to which a 
small admission is charged. To us it 
seemed the gallery contained but few 
notable works of art. Among those that 
appealed to our ideals most strongly 
7 



were "Ruth and Naomi," "Dante's 
Dream" and the "Meeting of Dante and 
Beatrice." 

The meal set before us upon our 
return to the Bear's Paw, tired and hungry, 
was a decidedly skimpy table d'hote 
lunch. They asked us if we would 
" 'ave our soup thick or thin." We took 
it thick. When dessert was reached, 
each "'elping" consisted of three tea- 
spoonfuls — never more. 

After an interesting trip to the famous 
docks, the party took a ferryboat across 
the river Mersey to Birkenhead, and 
from here the train to Chester. It was our 
first sight of a European train— not 
unlike a toy train such as one sees at 
Coney Island or the Chutes in San 
Francisco— and we should be pardoned 
if it was the cause of a lot of fun among 
the boys. It was amusing to us to see 
the "braky" climb onto the top of 
the car, and from this perilous position 
light the gas. At one point the train 
started, and he was compelled to jump 
to the ground, leaving the coach in 

8 



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darkness until the next stop was reached. 

Our first day in Chester proved full 
of interest. We walked around among 
the many points of note within a radius 
of five miles, first on the Pace or Roman 
wall, very ancient in parts, in others 
comparatively new. It forms a com- 
plete circle about the town. 

King Charles Tower is a spot in which 
many hours can be spent without fatigue. 
In this respect it is different from all 
the others surrounding it. From this 
tower King Charles viewed the an- 
nihilation of his troops by the forces of 
Oliver Cromwell, September 27, 1675, 
and fled a fugitive without army, country 
or friends. 

Darby Palace, a very old stone building, 
small in size, unimposing in appearance, 
attracted our attention. It was owned 
by the Earl of Darby who kept the water 
tower at the time of King Charles' 
defeat, an honorable position, we are 
told. The earl was imprisoned in his 
castle for sixteen weeks, fed by a servant 
who later took advantage of his mas- 



ter's trust and betrayed him. We saw 
the little cell-like room, about six feet 
square, in which he was forced to stay. 
He was executed in chains, at the order 
of Cromwell, on account of his loyalty to 
the unfortunate King Charles. 

After seeing the features of greatest 
interest at Chester — the cathedral, the 
old cloisters, old indeed, if one may 
judge by their appearance, and the 
God's Providence House, but now con- 
verted into a curio shop, said to have 
been providentially saved from a plague 
that devastated the town — we boarded 
our private car, cozy and comfortable 
conveyance that it was. This remained 
at our disposal until we reached London, 
and was set out upon request wherever 
the party desired to stop. 

Fascinating in the extreme was the 
journey from Chester to Warwick, through 
the pretty, well-kept English farmlands 
and estates, where every house impresses 
the beholder as built to fit into a charm- 
ing picture. Our hotel in Warwick was 
a typical English inn, of the type 

10 



that Dickens so graphically describes. 
The beds are all old-fashioned four- 
posters, and here we had the pleasure, 
or at least the novelty of retiring by 
candlelight. 

Warwick is almost too small to be 
called a town. It is scarcely more than 
a village with a single tram car trav- 
ersing its center. The people go to 
bed when the chickens do, and at half- 
past nine everything is as quiet as a 
country churchyard. 

Warwick Castle is one of the pictur- 
esque spots of England, entered by a long, 
well-kept driveway shaded by immense 
elms whose age no one knows, and 
running vines that give to it the appear- 
ance of a fairy bower or leafy arbor. 
The entrance proper to the castle is 
guarded by two towers of immense size, 
called Guy's and Caesar's towers. These 
illustrate strikingly the skill in engineer- 
ing and architecture possessed by the 
Normans of the period in which they 
were built. The castle's most interesting 
apartment was the cedar room, finished, 
11 



if tradition be true, from the wood of 
the great fallen cedars that once grew 
on the estate. From the fact that this 
room had been but recently renovated and 
put in condition for the occupancy of 
the Earl and Countess of Warwick, we 
obtained a good idea of its appearance 
when "in residence." 

Passing through the Rubens and Van 
Dyck rooms we were escorted by a most 
courteous major-domo, whose interest 
in our pleasure was doubtless heightened 
by the expectancy of a tip. The scenic 
splendor of the surrounding grounds 
was enhanced by the presence of a large 
number of gorgeous peacocks sunning 
themselves and spreading their beautiful 
fans in pride. The conservatory con- 
tained among other interesting things 
a large vase from Hadrian's villa, just 
outside of Rome. This castle proved 
so attractive to us that we were loath 
to leave it. 

In the second day of our stay in War- 
wick a stage took us out in the after- 
noon to see the wonderful ruins of Kenil- 

12 




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worth. The road led through typical 
Enghsh country estates, with here and 
there the thatched-roof cottages of the 
peasants. Among the most picturesque 
country-seats was the Guy's Cliff House, 
still well preserved and occupied by 
Lord Somebody-or-other. 

After an inspection of the ruins of 
Kenilworth, portions of which are still 
near enough intact to prove to the veriest 
stranger that it once proudly existed 
as a castle, we gave closer attention to 
the better preserved portions, including 
the banquet hall, kitchen and Amy 
Robsart's room. Using portions of the 
old ruins as backgrounds we posed for 
each other, and secured many pictures 
which even without the likeness of the 
members of our party will be treasured 
as mementos of the visit. These grand 
old ruins are made more attractive to 
the eye of the visitor by the great clinging 
masses of English ivy. The vines are 
long and heavy and, it is said, are nurtured 
by roots four feet or more in diameter. 
We did not overlook the freak vine that 

13 



is called to the attention of every tourist, 
the one that appears to be growing and 
flourishing in its top, and yet having no 
root, its lower portion swinging in ap- 
parent lifelessness against the stone wall. 
Neither were we permitted to forget the 
venders of postcards, whose wares were 
pressed upon us on every hand. The 
ruins of ancient strength and splendor 
were instructive and entertaining in many 
ways. From here our path led to Strat- 
ford, the home of the immortal Bard 
of Avon. 

With delightful anticipation, almost 
impatience, we started out on our tour 
of Stratford-on-Avon. Shakespeare's 
home is remodeled in many parts, but 
some portions of the original are still 
standing, as may be clearly seen. It is 
these original portions that interest the 
visitor most, of course. All the rooms 
in the building are now used for the hous- 
ing and display of Shakespearian relics, 
his will, framed and hanging on the wall, 
a painted picture of the poet from which 
the majority of the modern pictures of 

14 



him have been copied, and the first 
printed copy of his writings of which 
we have authentic knowledge. The 
rooms and their treasures are guarded 
by attendants. Upstairs the windows 
of the birth-room bear what are said to 
be autograph signatures of Carlyle and 
Scott, written when they visited the place. 
Visitors of lesser note have covered the 
walls, even to every available space on the 
ceilings, with their autographs. We un- 
slung our cameras and had them focused 
on various points of greatest interest, 
preparatory to getting a few snapshots, 
when the attention of a guard was at- 
tracted. He said, as nearly as I can 
recall his remarks: "'Ere now; none o' 
that, yer know; hit's ag'inst the law, 
hand hif you tike a pitcher it'll cost 
you twenty pun." We decided to forego 
the pleasure. 

From this interesting spot we went 
to the church where Shakespeare's bones 
lie buried. The road to the entrance 
is flanked by a row of linden trees, a 
pretty and attractive way of conducting 

15 



the tourist to the place toward which 
countless thousands have journeyed with 
mingled feelings of respect and curiosity. 
The church is of stone, well-kept and in 
a perfect state of preservation. The 
stained glass windows are in themselves 
an attraction well worth the trouble of 
going a long way to see. One of the 
relics contained in the church, next in 
interest to the baptismal font used at his 
christening, is the official record, in which 
are found the facts of the birth of the 
poet and his death, both entries being 
made in the same book, with, of course, 
many intervening pages of similar nota- 
tions concerning other persons. Stand- 
ing grouped about the grave we read 
the inscription engraved upon the slab: 

" Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear 
To dig the dust inclosed here. 
Blest be the man that spares these stones, 
And cursed be he that moves my bones." 

We walked through the old church- 
yard and endeavored to decipher the 
fading inscriptions on the tombstones, 
and then visited the Anne Hathaway 

16 




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c 
o 

3 



cottage, half a mile distant from the 
church and probably the most frequently 
visited cottage in all the world. Last 
year the registered visitors numbered 
two thousand three hundred during the 
tourist season. Here the visitor finds 
everything bright and clean. Big brass 
kettles hang about the open fireplace, 
fairly shining with recent polishings. The 
seat upon which Shakespeare sat while 
he courted the gentle Anne is pointed 
out. The walk back through the fields 
from the village of Shottery, in which 
the Anne Hathaway cottage is located, 
was long and pleasant, so much so 
that we did not wonder that Shake- 
speare chose it as his road home after 
an evening spent with his sweetheart. 

The glories of the past are mingled 
with the pride of present perfection at 
Eton, where we spent several busy 
hours. The school was the first place 
visited, owing to the fact that the royal 
apartments of Windsor were closed on 
the occasion of our visit. In the hall 
of one of the buildings (choir loft of the 

17 



chapel) we found carved the names 
of many men who in later years grew 
into fame and whose boyhood days were 
spent in pursuit of knowledge at Eton. 
Among the most famous that we came 
across were those of Gladstone and 
Wellington. The famous old painting 
of Sir Galahad by G. F. Watts is 
here in the chapel, surely deserving 
its honorable position. 

While we gratified our curiosity, a 
young lord, heir, as we were informed, 
to one of the largest estates in England, 
evidently of the simon-pure aristocracy, 
was endeavoring to find among the 
thousands of names carved upon the wall 
that of a well-known ancestor. Every 
year more boards are added to receive 
the names of graduates. The school- 
rooms were strangely fascinating with 
their old-fashioned desks looking as if 
they would fall under the weight of a 
half-grown occupant, covered with carv- 
ings representing animals, weapons and 
many of the fancies of youth. A pillar 
pointed out in a large recitation room 

18 




en 



came, tradition tells, from one of the 
ships in the Spanish Armada. Its ap- 
pearance certainly bears out the story 
of its antiquity. 

Many of the students were coming out 
for their Sunday afternoon constitutional 
as we left the chapel, wearing the regula- 
tion costumes of Eton jacket, silk hats, 
short coats and long trousers for the 
smaller boys, the larger boys wear- 
ing the same cut of clothes with the 
exception of the coat, theirs being on 
the order of a cutaway, with very long 
tails. They appeared odd in the ex- 
treme to us. 

The first day in London we journeyed 
by the tube to the famous Tower of 
London. The cars of this underground 
railway, cylindrical in shape, ran over 
a three-rail track, the live rail being in 
the center. Every train stops at each 
little station, and the stops are so frequent 
that more time seems to be spent in 
making them than in traveling. There 
are no through trains between terminals. 
The Tower has been so often and so 

19 



well described by travelers and in text- 
books that a description would probably 
not add to the interest of this book. 
Much of interest to the tourist, young or 
old, is nevertheless found, notably the 
exhibit of ancient armor, and the crown 
jewels of England and coronation robes 
of King Edward and Queen Alexandra. 
Just outside the big Tower is the famous 
" Traitors' Gate" and the "Bloody Tower," 
where were kept imprisoned the ill-fated 
children of history until their cruel death 
by suffocation. We viewed with interest 
and awe the spot marked in the pave- 
ment where the execution block stood 
upon which queens Anne Boleyn and 
Katherine, Lady Jane Grey and others 
of more or less note were beheaded. 

With the assistance of the ''bobbies," 
as the police of London are universally 
known, we arrived in due time at Regent 
Street, the central point of a large 
number of interesting localities. The 
first visited was Soho Square, a place 
similar in appearance to Mott and Mul- 
berry Streets in New York. Children 

20 



ran about in clothes that were so far 
from tidy or clean as to be repulsive. 
The grown-ups present a hardly more 
attractive appearance. We felt indeed 
that we w^ere in the edge of the slums 
of London, and were not at all loath 
to leave the locality. As we departed, 
however, the attraction of a typical 
Punch and Judy show, which in England 
seems to be a standard and never-failing 
form of amusement for a certain class' 
of people, both old and young, w^as suffi- 
cient to hold us for a while. It was 
rather tame to us, but it evidently made 
a great hit with the crowd of natives that 
jostled each other in an attempt to get 
a better view. The revenue to the 
*' show^man" was derived by passing a hat 
after the performance, and was not great. 
As we turned again into Regent Street, 
we saw an immense crowd gathered, 
held in place by the bobbies, whose clubs 
were the emblems of an authority absolute 
and unquestioned, and whose control of 
assemblages, however large they might 
be, was remarkable. We had but a 

21 



short time to wait to learn the cause 
of the excitement. The king and queen 
of Sweden, then on a visit to the capital 
of England, were being driven through 
the streets to Buckingham Palace. We 
learned later that King Edward and 
Queen Alexandra happened to be at 
home, and were glad to receive and 
entertain their guests. The visiting royal 
couple spent a week at Windsor Castle. 
As may be presumed, we were greatly 
impressed with the glimpse thus afforded 
of the first really and truly king and queen 
any of us had ever seen. 

That evening we saw Beerbohm Tree, 
with an excellent supporting company, 
in "Faust" at His Majesty's theater. 
Tree is the idol of the English theater- 
goers, and their appreciation of his won- 
derful talent found frequent and hearty 
expression in the Englishman's favorite 
way of applauding — "Hear, hear!" vary- 
ing in tone from the deep bass "Hya, 
hya!" to the squeaky little feminine 
"Hee-a, hee-a!" It was noted that when 
the curtain was rung down at the close, 

22 




Xi 

< 



there was the same wild rush for the 
exits that characterizes the theater at- 
tendants of our own land. This sur- 
prised us greatly, and seemed entirely 
out of keeping with the apparently digni- 
fied ways of the Britishers as we had seen 
them. 

At the National Gallery we spent sev- 
eral hours examining art treasures. Here 
the Venetian school is well represented by 
the works of Veronese, who lived in the 
time when Venice was in the height of 
her power and glory, and when the fad 
of the wealthy families seemed to be 
having their pictures taken in groups 
costumed to represent some historical 
event. Veronese painted one of these 
groups in which the scene depicted was 
that of Alexander the Great pardoning 
the wife, daughters, sons and relatives of 
Darius. This canvas is about ten by 
twelve feet and the figures are life-size. 
Many schools are represented in this 
gallery, including the Umbrian, Italian 
and Flemish. 

"Old Curiosity Shop" and Westmin- 

2S 



ster Abbey proved to be two of the most 
entertaining places our party visited. 
The former was a little, low frame story- 
and-a-half building, occupied in the rear 
by a family, while the front was filled 
with dirty sacks of grain, piles of old 
papers and rubbish of every description, 
that impressed the student of Dickens 
as little short of sacrilege. This im- 
pression was heightened by the observ- 
ance of a sign notifying all concerned 
that the famous old shop would soon be 
torn down to make room for a modern 
business building. A girl member of 
the family living in the rear room referred 
to did a thriving business in postcards, 
of which we purchased liberal quantities. 
The most notable feature of West- 
minster is the rose window, circular 
in shape and many feet in diameter. 
The artistic effect of the colored glass 
designs cannot be described; the beauti- 
ful, almost unearthly effect of the sun- 
light streaming through the window pro- 
duces an impression that is long borne 
in pleasant recollection. In the case of 

24 




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our party, the enjoyment was materially 
increased by the soft tones of a great 
pipe-organ upon which a skilled musician 
was playing melodious chants. Before 
leaving we were shown the tombs of 
Henry VII, Queen Elizabeth and Mary- 
Queen of Scots, points of interest prob- 
ably never overlooked by the tourist. 
In the poets' corner the tombs of Tenny- 
son, Browning and Dickens, with many 
others noted in literature and music, 
were pointed out. We did not overlook 
the fact that this corner contained in a 
prominent place a life-size bust of Long- 
fellow, the only American thus honored. 
We were fortunate in that our visit 
to London was made at the time when 
the Lord Mayor's show was in progress. 
This annual event holds much of interest, 
both to the citizens of the capital and to 
tourists. Spectators unused to the cus- 
toms were at a disadvantage in seeing 
the parades by reason of the fact that all 
the rooms in the Strand, where the parades 
occur, are rented (at fancy figures, by 
the way) many weeks before the big 

25 



spectacular event takes place. The pa- 
rades, while impressive, are to a stranger 
a remarkable mingling of the sublime 
and the ridiculous. They are made up 
largely of equestrians costumed to rep- 
resent famous historical characters, and 
the different branches of the British 
military and naval departments. We 
were slightly astonished to see William 
Shakespeare come gallivanting by on a 
big bay charger that took all his strength 
and skill to handle; but we made allow- 
ance for the fact that in his lifetime the 
noble bard was not notably given to 
horseback riding. Julius Caesar rode 
a little brown horse that evidently felt 
the dignity of his mount and tried to 
live up to it. Sir Launcelot was plainly 
handicapped by the weight and stiffness 
of his armor with which he was unfamil- 
iar. In the matter of armor again, poor 
Joan of Arc was entitled to our sym- 
pathies. She looked as if she would be 
mighty glad when the parade was over. 
At the end of the procession came the 
Lord Mayor's carriage, drawn by six 

26 




Scene on Marie Antoinette's Farm 
Palace of Versailles 

In the Gardens of Versailles 



beautiful white horses, gaily decked out 
in gilt and ribbons, each attended by 
a proud and pompous footman. When 
the parade had passed traffic was closed 
and the crowds of people, whose number 
it would be impossible to estimate, flocked 
into the streets. Here again the good 
nature and gentle firmness of the bobby 
was noticed, serving to handle the multi- 
tude without mishap or difficulty. Loco- 
motion was slow, and Tom, Ben and 
myself drifted with the crowd for an 
hour before we found egress into a side 
street. These, too, were filled for blocks 
in each direction with carriages, taxicabs 
and autos. 

We could not leave London, it was 
decided, without taking in the sights from 
the top of an old-fashioned 'bus, but this 
is truly an excellent way of seeing points 
of interest. The drive that we took was 
across the famous London Bridge, past the 
Mansion House, the Bank of England, 
the stock exchange, St. Paul's Cathedral, 
etc. The trip was at night, when the 
streets were crowded with pleasure seek- 
27 



ers, and so brilliantly lighted that the 
hours were completely lost track of. 
Unlike the largest of American cities, 
London never sleeps. There is not a 
moment in the twenty-four hours when 
absolute quiet reigns, or when the princi- 
pal streets are not crowded and full of 
life and interest. 

One might spend months, or years, 
perhaps, in seeing and studying London 
without having seen it all. The average 
time spent by the American tourist is 
far too short to give any definite idea of 
its greatness, or a familiarity with its 
priceless art and historical possessions. 
Our time was limited, and many desires 
long cherished were of necessity fore- 
gone. Of the places visited that were 
of great interest to all of us in the latter 
days of our stay there was Cheshire 
Cheese Inn, the favorite resort of Dr. 
Samuel Johnson. Here was pointed out 
to us the identical greasy spot on the 
wall where the doctor used to rest his 
head, and on a raised dais the chair 
on which he sat. We were served with 

28 



refreshments at the inn, ordering from 
unique menus, ancient in form and 
identical, as the attendants assured us, 
with those from which Johnson and his 
cronies ordered their refreshments almost 
three centuries ago. Later we were per- 
mitted to purchase the menus. 

We left London at an early hour in 
the morning, not without positive regrets, 
and boarded our private "carriage," as 
the coach is called on English railways, 
to be whisked away to Winchester, a 
couple of hours' ride. Except for the 
fact that it is very poorly heated, the 
carriage affords a decidedly comfortable 
conveyance. The heat is supplied by 
an individual warmer, a small oblong 
iron can filled with hot water and slipped 
under the seat. It is needless to say 
the cans do not materially raise the 
temperature in the carriage, which on 
an average morning is too low for com- 
fort, and necessitates the wearing of 
heavy wraps, while it is not unusual for 
the traveler to see his breath arising on 
the frosty air. 

39 



Upon reaching Winchester, we walked 
around the hall where stood the round 
table which, according to legend, had often 
been surrounded by King Arthur and 
his knights. We did not find its in- 
terest lessened by the doubts as to the 
authenticity of the story that has clung 
to it for ages. 

The perpendicular architecture is the 
most striking feature of Winchester ca- 
thedral as one approaches it. The en- 
thusiastic students of architecture find 
in this historic and very old structure 
many things of deepest interest. The 
gradual changes that have come with 
time, the evolution of the science, are 
perhaps no more plainly set forth in 
any one building in all Europe than in 
this cathedral, and while every school 
or variety from the early Norman to the 
perpendicular is noted, they have been 
so skillfully brought out that the harmony 
of both exterior and interior has been 
remarkably well preserved. The reredos, 
or altar-piece in the cathedral is one of 
the rarest the traveler will see anywhere, 

30 



and is a wonderful example of the stone 
carver's art, the representation of lace 
and other fine materials being marvelous. 



31 




chapter ^Cfjree 

FRANCE 

Rouen — Paris — Avignon — Aries — 
Marseilles — Nice 

jT WAS late at night when we 
left Winchester for Paris. We 
rode into Southampton about 
eleven o'clock, but sleep was 
more to be desired than any view of 
the old English town at such an hour, 
and our impressions of Southampton are 
therefore vague. The boat that carried 
us across the channel was small, and all 
its appointments in keeping, but we 
enjoyed the ride very much. It took 
from about midnight until seven o'clock 
the next morning to reach Havre. 

Knockings, necessarily loud, on my 
stateroom door, awakened me, and I 
dressed hurriedly and came out on the 





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deck of the small steamer Columbia, The 
scene that lies before the tourist at this 
point long remains in recollection. The 
long, low coast diverging from the point 
occupied by the docks, crowded at this 
time by countless craft of every descrip- 
tion, presented a general air of thrift 
and enterprise; on shore every building 
bearing a sign in French reminded us 
that we were now on really "foreign" 
soil, for heretofore all that we had heard 
or read was in English. And here, I 
may state, our troubles began, for we 
were not, with one exception, noted for 
our linguistic abilities. Here, too, we 
began to experience trouble with the 
customs officials. When the Columbia 
had finally threaded her way into her 
slip and come to rest, and we had flocked 
across the gangplank, we immediately 
fell under the charge of the "facteur" 
or porter, who carried our bags to the 
custom house. On this occasion we 
got off very easily, however. The 
oflScials merely asked us if we had spirits 
or tobacco, and upon receiving our re- 

33 



plies, marked our baggage accordingly. 

Rouen is a large city, marked by a 
fine cathedral and churches galore, all 
beautiful and evidently of great cost. 
Here also stands the tower of the castle 
in which Joan of Arc was kept a prisoner 
until her execution at the stake. 

The first afternoon that we went out 
unaccompanied by Professor Trotter, we 
had an experience that seemed serious 
enough at the time, but over which we 
had many a hearty laugh afterward. 
It was our appetites that got us into 
trouble, and allowed us to be lured into 
a charming little French petisseriey a 
place where chocolate, tea and cakes 
are served. Several of the boys, while 
separated from the group which contained 
the only one in the party who spoke 
French — aside from our tutor — went into 
the petisserie and by means of the univer- 
sal sign language made the woman in 
charge understand that we were hungry; 
that we wanted cakes, and even made it 
plain which particular kind of cakes we 
wanted. The cakes were served, and we 

34 




Street in San Rema 



offered in payment the only kind of money 
any of us had, the EngHsh coins which we 
had unthinkingly failed to have changed 
into French money. This the woman 
flatly refused to take. We might as well 
have offered her our I O U's. We were 
in a quandary indeed, and just beginning 
to see all kinds of trouble looming up 
ahead, when Tom Stanley and the rest 
of the boys came in, and Tom, getting 
his French vocabulary into fairly good 
working order, soon straightened matters 
out, and having in the meantime procured 
some French coins, he paid for our cakes. 

Not less interesting was the first meal 
we ate in Rouen. It included sliced 
calves' heads, shrimps and eels — the latter 
cooked on a hoop to which the back- 
bone clung when the flesh had been 
removed. The dinner was served in 
nine courses. 

A couple of days was all we spent in 
Rouen, and from here we went direct 
to Paris. Our first impressions of the 
French capital were not lasting for the 
reason that we arrived at night. We 

35 



knew we were in a busy, bustling, noisy 
city, brilliantly lighted, whose streets 
were ever filled with throngs of apparently 
happy and care-free people, but the forms 
of the buildings, the beauty of the streets 
and boulevards, the grandeur of many 
of the public buildings and wonderful 
gardens — all these could only be studied 
and appreciated under more favorable 
conditions. 

The contents of our trunks received 
a general shaking up at the hands of 
the customs officials, while the trunks 
themselves were liberally supplied with 
marks and characters that were meaning- 
less to us, and that wasted a lot of chalk. 
The cabs we entered rattled over the 
cobblestones at such a terrific, swaying 
pace that we feared the horses were 
running away. Later experiences taught 
us that this was the customary way of 
driving and that each driver, whether 
his vehicle was a tram, cab or 'bus, went 
as fast as he wanted to, which was gener- 
ally pretty fast. There was evidently 
no ordinance designed to prevent fast 

36 



driving, a fact we regretted on many 
subsequent occasions, when more scenery 
and fewer bumps were desirable. The 
need of caution was instilled into our 
minds by the information cheerfully given 
us that if we got in the way of one 
of these Jehus and were run over we 
were liable to arrest and fine. We were 
cautious. 

As soon as we learned, at the sugges- 
tion of Professor Trotter, to obtain the 
equivalent of American money in French 
(simply to multiply the number of francs 
by two, and in the case of centimes to 
divide the number by five) our trouble on 
this score ended and we were enabled 
to guard against the sharp shopkeepers. 
This important matter settled we started 
out to make our first inspection of the 
French capital. Professor Trotter leading 
and the boys loitering along behind. 
There is plenty to rubber at in Paris. 

In the Avenue Champs Elysees, which 
is familiar to every traveler who visits 
Paris, and which seemed like a great 
playground filled with hundreds of pret- 

37 



tily dressed children in the care of nurses, 
we spent some time. The youngsters 
were sputtering French with such anima- 
tion that we wondered at their ability 
to make themselves understood even 
by their nurses. We drifted down the 
avenue to the left a few blocks, where 
a fine view of the palace of the president 
was obtainable through the open gates. 
The grounds are enclosed by a high iron 
fence, but glimpses disclosed large gardens 
filled with rare and beautiful flowers. 

The Place de la Concorde is one of the 
most beautiful squares in the world, 
it is said, and we did not feel inclined 
to dispute the statement. It seems 
strange, however, in this day of universal 
peace and freedom, after reading the 
scenes that the horrible stories in French 
history depict, that this pretty spot could 
have been the scene of the guillotine's 
awful work. Here the Paris mobs gath- 
ered to witness the execution of Queen 
Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI and 
many other notables. We found it diffi- 
cult to think that the playing fountains 



and myriads of soft, white blossoms 
hid the spots of earth once wet with the 
blood of the proud nobility of France. 

The Louvre, later to be the scene of our 
hardest study while in Paris, and for 
this reason, if for no other, indelibly 
impressed upon our minds, was a delight 
to us. It was chosen for this purpose 
because it afforded excellent opportunity 
for seeing the wondrous works of art 
with which we were as far as possible 
to familiarize ourselves. Many days 
could be spent here without seeing all 
that it contained. Beautifully located 
and elaborately designed, it is a fitting 
repository for its many treasures, among 
the most notable of which are the famous 
Venus de Milo and the equally famous 
"Winged Victory." One may wander 
for days in the rooms and corridors and 
not see half of the sculpture and painting, 
historic relics and souvenirs. 

At the Grand Opera House we wit- 
nessed *' Samson and Delilah" and had 
our introduction to the French system 
of theater seating. Joining in the mad 

39 



rush for the front seats in a loge, we were 
successful on account of our superior 
strength and number. If you are going 
to sit in a loge in a Paris opera house, 
be early in line ; otherwise you must stand 
up to see the performance, even though 
you have several seats at your disposal, 
for only in the front seats can one get 
a view of the stage while in a sitting 
position. The Grand Opera House is 
the building from which the United 
States congressional library in Washing- 
ton is copied, and the resemblance is 
striking. 

The Metropolitan subway in Paris 
is arranged with two, and in some places 
three, levels of tracks, one above the other. 
In changing it is often necessary to climb 
stairs and not infrequently to do this 
several times before one's destination 
is reached, a fact which leads to an 
endless amount of confusion. 

Riding in the subway, or as the Pari- 
sians call it, the Metro, I recall an ex- 
perience my grandfather had in getting 
through it on the occasion of his first 

40 



visit. Grandfather is not a Frenchman, 
nor does he speak the language of France. 
Arriving from Versailles at the station 
Saint Lazare he immediately entered 
the Metro, holding tight the little piece 
of paper upon which he had copied the 
name of the station that marked his desti- 
nation, de I'Alma. By some chance he 
overlooked the exits from the Metro and 
remained in the cars until led out at 
the end of each run by the guards, 
whom he could not make understand 
that he wanted to go to de I'Alma. Then 
he would enter another car and repeat 
the experience. Hours, it seemed to 
him, this lasted, until a kindly disposed 
Englishman, seeing his difficulty, acted 
as pilot until the proper train was reached, 
and then landed him safely at the door 
of the Elysees Palace Hotel. His grati- 
tude knew no bounds, as may be imagined. 
I presume if the Englishman had not 
happened along, poor grandfather would 
have continued to ride 'round and 'round 
as long as a piece of his ticket was left, 
and I have often wondered what would 

41 



have become of him then. This was cer- 
tainly one of the longest rides for the least 
money he ever expects to take. 

An excellent idea of the splendor of the 
old French court is obtained by a visit 
to the palace of Versailles, to which our 
party devoted one whole day, and which 
impelled some of us to make several 
subsequent visits. An electric car line, 
embodying the third-rail principle, with 
remarkably few accidents of a serious 
nature, however, carries one from Paris 
to a pretty suburb, a twenty minutes' 
ride. The first impression is that a 
great deal of room must have been 
occupied by each of the dwellers in the 
imposing pile of masonry, for it suggests 
the idea of a little city in itself. This 
is explained in part by a closer examina- 
tion into the arrangement of the pal- 
ace, in the immense ballroom, reception 
rooms and others. The private apart- 
ments of the former kings were very 
large. The one occupied by Marie 
Antoinette is pointed out, and also 
the secret stairway and door through 

42 



which she fled to seek the protection of 
the king when the mob from Paris 
stormed the palace, killed the Swiss 
guard and took the royal pair to the city 
in a carriage — their first step on the road 
to the fate that was in store for them. 

Although absolute freedom is given to 
all parts of the buildings and grounds, 
with the exception of Marie Antoinette's 
room, a guide accompanied the party, a 
fact which was greatly appreciated. We 
left the palace by the grand stairway, 
stopping to look at nicks and cracks 
in the marble balustrade, the still visible 
marks of the mob's vengeance. Then 
a visit to the royal farm where Marie 
Antoinette indulged her inclinations for 
the simple life and where, it is said, her 
happiest days were spent, and we set 
out on our return trip to Paris, arriving 
at our station with some difficulty, owing 
to our inability to locate the names of 
the stations, or know just where we were. 

The monotony of existence in Paris — 
if monotony in that gayest of earth's 
cities can ever exist — was relieved by 

43 



a small blizzard, which soon revealed 
the evident fact that the Parisians do 
not know how to handle snow as the street 
cleaning departments of American cities 
do. It w^as amusing to see them hurrying 
around with little two-wheeled carts con- 
taining salt, small quantities of which 
were placed on the snow to melt it. 
Naturally, some time is required, but 
eventually the streets are thus cleared. 

Among the last but most interesting 
places we visited were the tomb of Napo- 
leon, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and 
Malmaison, the home of Josephine. The 
latter was of particular interest, and here 
we spent some time. The palace, or 
rather chateau, has been restored and 
filled with relics of the unfortunate Jose- 
phine and her emperor-husband. One 
of the rooms contains Napoleon's library, 
a very extensive one. Josephine's death- 
chamber, a round room with a high, 
dome-shaped ceiling, is pointed out by 
the guide, and also the laurel hedge where 
Napoleon stood and bade good-bye for- 
ever to the weeping Josephine, 

44 



The first stop after leaving Paris was 
made at Avignon, a small town where 
stands the palace in which the popes were 
held prisoners when banished from Rome. 
The town is still surrounded by high 
stone walls, built for the protection of 
the inhabitants in mediseval times. 
These have, of course, been repaired, and 
are excellently preserved. Walking in a 
valley below the castle, we obtained a 
view such as it is given few people to 
enjoy — the splendors of a sunset whose 
last rays of mellow gold fell across the 
old stone walls and buildings, bringing 
their outlines into clear relief against 
the azure sky. We stood in rapture and 
watched the scene until the setting of the 
sun dispelled its beauties. 

A peculiar experience was ours in 
crossing the Rhone into Avignon. We 
sat in a boat but little more than a skiff, 
which was connected by short guides with 
an overhead rope that reached across the 
river diagonally. As soon as we cast 
off, the little craft slid gracefully, and 
with more speed than oars would impart, 

45 



across the river, propelled by the invisible 
but strong current. 

On the way from Avignon to Aries 
a number of fine old castles were pointed 
out, among them being Castle Beaucaire, 
around which Booth Tarkington wove 
his thrilling romance, "Monsieur Beau- 
caire." The main things for the tourist 
to see at Aries are the Roman theater 
and amphitheater, the latter of which 
is now used almost exclusively for bull 
fights. None of these interesting events 
were scheduled at the time of our visit, 
and we came away as we went — innocent 
of the sensations at witnessing this ex- 
citing "sport." The evening we spent 
at Aries was made memorable by the 
mistral, a cold, raw wind of high velocity 
that blows in that country twenty-one 
days out of the year. An unpleasant 
experience awaited us at the station 
when we went to take the train for Nice. 
We learned that the engine which had 
been assigned to the work of hauling our 
train had been derailed, and for hours 
we huddled under the rain protector, 
46 















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mm 


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73 



a shed built on the plan of an umbrella 
top, but having no sides. It did protect 
us from the rain, but the mistral had full 
sweep at us. There was but one seat 
in the place, and to conserve, so far 
as possible, the warmth of our bodies, 
we piled up on top of each other like 
football players. This was satisfactory, 
in a measure at least — to all except the 
bottom man. We took turns in holding 
this undesirable position, however, and 
managed to maintain circulation in our 
veins until the delayed engine arrived. 
Sleepiness followed our getting comfort- 
ably fixed in the nice, warm cars. 

At Marseilles, which was passed in the 
night, one of the best fellows of our party 
was lost. Tom, whose parents surprised 
him by appearing at this point with an 
automobile, left us and did not return for 
a fortnight. We missed both the genial 
Tom and his French; which the more 
I will not say. 

Shortly after passing Marseilles we 
came in sight of the Mediterranean Sea, 
and could not but be impressed by the 

4.7 



picture presented by the little seaside 
towns whose twinkling lights were re- 
flected on the calm surface of the water, 
apparently far out from shore. Nice, 
which was reached shortly after midnight, 
was quiet in slumber. We noticed that 
it seemed very warm, but this may have 
been in part by way of contrast with the 
temperature at Aries, influenced by the 
long-to-be-remembered mistral. 

We considered ourselves fortunate in 
being at Nice at the height of the season, 
for this gave us ample opportunity of 
seeing the crowds of people w^hich 
thronged the thoroughfares. Toward 
evening, we went to the Casino to 
watch the playing, where money flows 
in streams and currents from hand 
to hand, but most frequently into the 
hands of the croupier. It is deeply 
interesting to watch the faces of the 
players, ranging from mere youth to 
decrepit old age and cosmopolitan in the 
extreme. There were Turks, French, 
Germans, English and Americans. While 
the playing was at its height an orchestra 

48 




The Falls of Terni 



discoursed soft, seductive music that 
suggested the voice of the siren calling 
the wavering ones to trust to fickle 
fortune their small holdings. We quickly 
noted that the spirits of the players 
were highest when the orchestra played. 
They joked and bantered. Smiles met 
smiling eyes and repartee flowed like 
sparkling wine. But when the music 
stopped there was an awed stillness 
broken only by a low buzz of conversa- 
tion, and the silver tinkle of the coins 
as they passed from one player to another. 
The Casino is not unlike Monte Carlo, 
except in the amount of the stakes, these 
ordinarily being much smaller. Trage- 
dies following losses are fewer; in fact, 
they are seldom known at the Casino. 



49 




Cfjapter jFour 

MONACO 

Smallest Principality in the World 

lUR party walked from Nice to 
Monte Carlo, a distance of nine 
miles. We enjoyed the jour- 
ney more than if we had taken 
any of the several kinds of convey- 
ances provided for the transportation of 
tourists. The wide macadamized road 
wound around among hills and through 
pretty valleys, at times leading us out 
over the cliffs from which we had an 
excellent view of the Mediterranean. 
Our hearts were thrilled by the sight of 
three of Uncle Sam's battleships, steaming 
majestically into the harbor and toward 
Villafranca. They were a detachment 
of the Atlantic fleet then on a tour of the 
world, and remained at Villafranca but 

50 




Tomb of Dante, in Raveinia 



a short time — long enough, however, for 
the jackies to come on shore and take 
in the sights, one of which was the great 
attraction of Monte Carlo. We saw 
many bands of the domesticated goats 
that form a substitute for dairy cattle at 
Monaco, and marveled at the skill and 
daring with which they leaped across 
chasms and from the rocky pinnacles 
of the mountains, when alarmed at our 
approach. 

It was early in the evening when we 
visited the gambling palace. Honestly, 
though, we went wholly innocent of any 
intention to break the bank; curiosity 
alone attracted us. I shall never for- 
get Monte Carlo. I cannot describe 
it — indeed, it is doubtful if the real 
Monte Carlo has been or can be de- 
scribed. The building and grounds are 
always crowded, for with the exception 
of a short time in the afternoon gambling 
is in progress day and night during the 
season. At the door we were halted 
by the major-domo, who asked many 
questions — how old, what nationality, 

51 



etc., — and those who were in his opinion 
still to be classed as boys were forbidden 
to enter. Arthur Brooks, wanting to 
see all that was to be seen and with 
wonderful foresight, anticipating trouble 
with the guards, had let his beard grow 
a day or two over the customary time 
for shaving, and was therefore easily 
able to pass the examination. He with 
some of the others went inside, while 
the remainder of the party contented 
themselves with a stroll in the soft, warm 
moonlight. The restrictions placed upon 
visitors at Monte Carlo are much more 
rigid than at the Casino, at Nice, and 
to the spectator who has visited both 
places the scenes soon lose their fascina- 
tion. We left early in the evening without 
regret and were carried to our next 
stopping place, San Remo, in Stanley's 
comfortable automobile. 



52 




Cfiapter Jfibe 

ITALY 

San Remo — Genoa — Pisa — Rome — 

the Vatican — Naples — Terni — 

Spoleto — Ravenna — Venice 

[HE interesting little old town of 
San Remo, the first place in 
Italy at which we stopped, 
differed vastly from Nice and 
Monte Carlo. It has a quaintness that 
is distinctive and refreshing. It is, as 
Ben Dare observed, the most upright 
town we ran across in our travels. Situ- 
ated on the side of a steep hill, access to 
its heights is gained without difficulty, and 
with a minimum of labor through many 
flights of stairs that form the narrow, 
crooked little streets. The day we did 
San Remo seemed to be wash day, and 
the streets were clouded overhead with 

53 



laundry strung from one side to the other. 
The women, as we discovered, did their 
washing in the dirty, stagnant water of 
the little ditch running down the hill, 
and a more repulsive-looking set of 
laundry maids would be difficult to find. 
To gain time we left the street and took 
a short cut across what proved to be 
the property of a number of the women 
engaged at the time in putting out their 
washings. Our intrusion was resented 
in tirades of Italian accompanied by 
threatening gestures that were plainer 
to us than the remarks. We remained 
indifferent until an ancient dame grabbed 
a scythe that happened to be lying on the 
ground and made such a hostile demon- 
stration that we left the scene with more 
speed than that with which we had 
approached. 

My advice to those who contemplate 
journeying from San Remo to Genoa by 
rail is — don't, for the more pleasant way 
is by carriage. By rail it is most disap- 
pointing. The road is a succession of 
tunnels, short and uninteresting in them- 

54 




cr 
en 



selves, that intrude their presence in a 
most provoking way just when the pas- 
senger is becoming interested in a bit 
of scenery. 

At Genoa the glories of the past are 
more than those that the present offers 
as attractions for the tourist. Here op- 
posite our hotel is a marble statue of 
Christopher Columbus. We found much 
of interest in the famous old Campo 
Santo, or cemetery, where, in the colon- 
nades, are reared marble statues bearing 
the most delicate carvings, representations 
of lace and silk being often remarkable. 

A thing very much alive was the band 
of serenaders that assembled under our 
windows at the hotel in the early evening 
and, strengthened by frequent draughts 
of wine, made the night hideous with 
songs that were notable for their strength 
of tone rather than the softness of which 
I had read in poetry. It was near 
midnight when their departure permitted 
us to sleep. 

One of the things that used to fill me 
with wonder and awe, as I gazed upon 

55 



its pictures in my very young days, was 
the leaning tower of Pisa. I had always 
desired to see it, and find out what 
made it lean. I can recall the fears 
I often entertained that they would 
straighten it up before I had a chance 
to see it, but in this I was happily dis- 
appointed. It was leaning when I saw 
it, and will doubtless continue to do so 
for some time. Our party ascended to 
its top by means of a winding stair 
inside the tower, stopping on each of the 
five landings. At the top are seven large 
bells, presumably as old as the tower. 
For our benefit, the old bell tender rang 
them all, putting forth all his energy 
in swinging them far enough to bring 
forth their mighty tones. He was a 
little man, and our fears were aroused 
more than once when it seemed he would 
follow the bell too far out over the side 
of the tower. 

We were fortunate in timing our visit 
to Rome, for the annual carnival that 
from time immemorial has preceded Lent 
was in full sway. There seemed to be no 

56 



distinction between natives and foreigners, 
rich and poor, high or low, so far as 
freedom of action was concerned. Pres- 
ent-day visitors are informed that the 
carnivals are tame in comparison with 
those held in the bygone days; this caused 
our only regrets, for if the carnival we 
saw was tame it would be difficult to 
imagine the old-time affair. From the 
advantageous position of a seat in a high 
carriage we threw confetti and snap- 
dragons, but found the greatest interest 
in watching the thousands and thousands 
of people of every possible description, 
and some that w^ere impossible to de- 
scribe. Certainly a wide field of observa- 
tion opens on an occasion of this kind 
to the student of human nature. There 
is a solid week of this carnival. When 
the day ended we found comfort in 
needed refreshments in the Cafe la Tour, 
one of the most famed of Rome's thou- 
sands of petisseries. 

St. Peter's Cathedral disappointed us 
greatly at first sight. We had expected 
a larger building. But its beauty and 

57 



grandeur grew upon us, and we became 
attached and attracted to it more firmly 
with each visit. The interior is sublimely 
beautiful, although the features are com- 
paratively few. The statue Pieta by 
Michael Angelo, the wonderful mosaic 
reproduction of Raphael's painting, " The 
Ascension," and the many little chapels 
opening from the main auditorium, all 
are of interest. Proceeding to the great 
canopy that covers St. Peter's grave, 
we approached the statue of the saint 
and kissed its great toe, as millions of 
others have done — so many that the 
bronze toe, originally life size, has been 
worn partially away. A reason for the 
popularity of St. Peter's with sightseers 
is that its interior is always comfortable, 
the temperature remaining absolutely the 
same winter and summer. 

A half day in the Forum, we decided, 
was well spent. The ruins of the ancient 
public buildings are scarcely less interest- 
ing than the relics that are being found 
in the excavations the government is 
now carrying on. These go into national 

58 



museums, and consist for the most part 
of statuary, that is beUeved to have come 
from the old tombs of the Romans. 
Climbing down through a succession of 
excavations, we were permitted to gaze 
upon a slab of black stone covering the 
grave of Romulus — the stone being un- 
covered since the excavations undertaken 
in 1898 began — which by the Latin 
inscription it bore proved that Romulus 
was not a myth; that he lived, as legend 
records, and that he was the founder of 
Rome. It is said that this stone covering 
was provided for his grave when roads 
were built through the city, and because 
it was the expressed wish of the inhab- 
itants that his grave be not disturbed. 
How we came to visit the Vatican, and 
secured an audience with his holiness 
Pope Pius X, is a story in itself. It 
came as a pleasant surprise to all the 
boys in the party, for not even Professor 
Trotter knew when we set sail from 
Boston that it would be one of the 
features of the tour. To Fred Matthews 
belongs the credit for the achievement — 

59 



we consider it in no other light — for he 
was the bearer of letters and credentials 
to a cardinal of great influence, and upon 
calling upon this dignitary of the church 
was promised an audience with the pope 
and cheerfully granted permission to 
invite his companions to accompany him. 
It is needless to say that we welcomed 
the opportunity, and that we appreciated 
it very much. This will suffice to explain 
how a party of American boys, only 
one of whom was a Catholic, enjoyed 
a privilege that is extended to com- 
paratively few travelers who visit the 
Eternal City. 

A more favorable time could not have 
been selected had that been left to us. 
The day we were to go to the Vatican 
was one set for the reception of a pilgrim- 
age that included many persons who had 
come from all parts of the world for the 
occasion. The hour assigned for our 
visit was twelve, noon, and upon arriving 
at St. Peter's, which adjoins the Vatican 
grounds, we found the crowd already 
large. When our credentials had been 

60 



carefully scanned we were taken in charge 
by guards uniformed in red and black. 
From the time we first entered the closely- 
guarded gates until we left the papal 
mansion, each individual in the party 
was the recipient of marked attention 
and kindness. The comfort, and I might 
say the pleasure, of each visitor seems 
to be diligently sought by the guards. 

Conforming to the customs of the papal 
court, each married lady visitor was 
clothed in black; unmarried ladies and 
girls wore dresses of white. All gentle- 
men were in full evening dress. Being 
advised in advance of this we boys 
appeared properly clothed. The kind 
reception with which we met, and the 
peaceful, quiet surroundings, eliminated 
every sense of nervousness we might 
have felt. First conducted into a large 
reception room, carpeted with a wonder- 
ful plush rug, all the hangings and the 
few decorations, simple but elegant, being 
in red, our attention was directed to the 
papal throne at one end of the room. 
Here it may be well to explain that the 

61 



present pope seldom uses this chair, 
since he prefers to come down into the 
audience to give his blessings. Pope 
Leo, we were told, insisted that pilgrims 
approach the throne to receive the blessing. 
After sitting in this room for about twenty 
minutes, a guard came and, addressing 
Professor Trotter in Italian, bade us 
come into another room. Thus our party 
was separated from the body of the crowd, 
and passing many small rooms, bare 
except for the plush carpets and tapestry- 
covered walls, with here and there an 
altar, we were conducted into a small 
compartment in which our audience with 
Pope Pius was held. In a few moments 
we received a signal from the guard to 
kneel, and our eyes following those of the 
guard we were thrilled at the approach 
of a kind-faced, benevolent-looking man, 
clothed in spotless white except for his 
shoes, which were scarlet. He passed 
down the row of kneeling boys, giving 
each his right hand that we might kiss 
his ring. When the last was passed, 
he walked to the center of the room, and 

62 




o 



raising his hand said, "You and your 
families, with the articles that you bring 
with you, are blessed," this being the 
usual form employed. At a signal from 
the guard we arose, and remained stand- 
ing while the pope waited upon the 
pilgrimage in the larger room. We knelt 
again as he returned, and until he had 
passed through the room with his hand 
raised in silent benediction. It was noted 
by each of us that his kindly features 
were wreathed in the most pleasant of 
smiles, as if he entered into the feeling 
of joy that the ceremony, brief but 
deeply impressive, had brought to each 
of us. 

After the audience we donned our wraps 
and were escorted from the Vatican. 
The memory of our visit long lingered 
in our minds; and oft, in recalling the 
adventures and the strenuous experiences 
of that long and varied trip through the 
old world, there arises the vision of that 
dear old man, whose face and actions, 
as much or perhaps more than his words, 
spoke of serene peace. 

63 



On a later occasion a trip was made 
to the Vatican gardens, where many 
hours were spent in admiration of their 
fountains, walks and grottoes, with flow- 
ers indescribable in their profusion 
and rare beauty and fragrance. The 
kindness of an American student, then 
pursuing his studies in Rome, was a great 
aid to us in gaining an inspection of the 
grounds. Here the lover of the beautiful 
will find a veritable treasure house which 
will require many days thoroughly to 
explore. An object of great interest to 
us was the cage of lions presented 
to Pope Leo by King Menelik of Abys- 
sinia. They had outgrown their quarters, 
and at the time of our visit a larger place 
of confinement was being constructed 
for them. 

Our party visited St. Paul's, an old 
church under which a few years ago a 
street of ancient Rome was found, the 
discovery leading to excavations that dis- 
closed houses and streets of the ancients, 
with their furnishings. The latter have 
been removed, and now occupy places 

64 



in various museums of the world. The 
paving of the streets is still in good 
repair, and on many of the walls in the 
houses faint frescoes are to be seen. 
There are several heating systems for 
the residences of what were evidently 
the better classes; their bathrooms show 
a taste for elegance like that of the more 
modern people. 

On a number of occasions we joined 
the afternoon crowds that went to the 
Pincin Hill, one of the famous seven hills 
of Rome, to revel in the delight of an 
hour of music by some celebrated Italian 
band. These daily concerts attract great 
numbers of the Roman swells, who are 
remarkably fond of music. Frescoti and 
Tivoli, which we crossed the Appian 
Way to see, are pretty mountain resorts, 
well worth one's while to visit. On the 
way out to them we saw the old, old 
aqueducts, still in fine repair, and in 
constant use for bringing to the city 
the pure, clear water from the distant 
Alban Mountains. A visit to the Coliseum 
by moonlight was the last pleasure of 

65 



Rome for our party, and the next morning 
we left by train for Naples. 

The city of Naples is a surprise to 
most travelers, and it was for us — any- 
thing but a pleasant surprise after reading 
Shakespeare's "Tempest" and literature 
of a similar tendency for weeks in order 
that we might be tuned up to an apprecia- 
tion of the old southern Italian seaport 
town. It was quickly apparent that the 
natives hadn't cleaned up the place in 
anticipation of our visit. In fact, it 
didn't appear to have been thoroughly 
cleaned up in a good many hundred 
years. The appearance of the citizens 
was in keeping with that of the streets 
and many of the buildings. The main 
streets are paved with cobblestones, and 
as we rode over these at a furious pace, 
conversation was for a time suspended. 
The city suggested more activity, more 
enterprise, than Rome. When a Nea- 
politan starts on a trip, he concentrates 
every energy on getting there at the earliest 
possible moment. We were kept busy 
dodging cabs driven by the most reckless 



set of men ever employed for a like 
service. These Jehus work hand in hand, 
or at least it seemed so to us, with the 
ambitious facchino or porter, who grabs 
one's bag the moment one alights from 
the train and starts for — somewhere, 
anywhere. Taken by surprise, the tourist 
is fortunate if he recovers and pursues 
with speed sufficient to overtake the 
facchino. And if he doesn't catch him, 
he never sees his property again. I 
would not go so far as to say that the 
facchino would appropriate the bag thus 
secured, but mention the trait as showing 
his effervescent industry. I don't know 
what he would do if he got out of one's 
sight before he could be overtaken, but 
we made sure after our first experience 
that we had a good hold on all that we 
carried with us before going among them. 
Time being limited we visited only 
Vesuvius and Pompeii. An electric train, 
modern and very like the American 
electric trains, carries the tourist to 
Pompeii. At the destination, the pas- 
sengers find themselves at a lonely little 

67 



station and begin their wanderings among 
the ruins. We declined the services of 
the guides, as Professor Trotter was fa- 
mihar with the scenes before us. Pompeii 
is in reality a strangely constructed city — 
entirely without inhabitants. All the 
things that were once of use or ornament 
have been placed in some of the houses 
from whence it is supposed they originally 
came. The custom of removing these 
and placing them in museums has long 
been discontinued. This affords a clear 
idea of the way in which the ancients 
lived. One of the most notable buildings 
is the house of the Vettii, with its pretty 
court filled with flowers and ferns. The 
reception room bears some interesting 
frescoes, still in an excellent state of 
preservation. In the kitchen we found 
the "stove" in which the servants of the 
family used to prepare the meals, a square 
stone box affair, filled with the ashes and 
cinders that were in it when the disaster 
came. 

The best preserved structures in Pom- 
peii are the Stabian baths. These were 



for the use of both sexes, having most 
elaborate apartments for each. The walls 
are double thickness, with an open space 
or air chamber between to facilitate 
heating. Under each bath is a double 
stone floor, with a considerable space 
intervening, enough to contain the open- 
draft fire by which the water was brought 
to the proper temperature. The Italian 
government is in charge of the present 
work of excavating. Nothing that is 
unearthed in the course of the work is for 
sale. Every visitor has ample oppor- 
tunity, however, to stock up on postcards. 
In fact, this might be properly termed 
the leading mercantile pursuit of the 
place at this time. 

From the time we finished our examina- 
tion of the Pompeian ruins, and turned 
our faces toward Vesuvius, Professor 
Trotter was busily engaged in dickering 
with the guides, since the finicular or 
cog-road was out of repair. This is 
almost indispensable in a trip to the 
crater, if one considers the comfort or 
convenience of ascending in this manner. 



The guides have not only an exalted 
opinion of the value of their services, but 
also a firmly fixed belief that all foreigners, 
and particularly those that look like 
students, are "easy/' They did not find 
our experienced and capable tutor in this 
class, and after haggling and gesticulating 
— both in Italian— until they saw that 
further effort was useless, came down 
to a reasonable figure and we engaged 
two of them, who in turn hired five or 
six attendants. The first part of the 
journey up the mountain for a mile or 
more was made in carriages and gave 
a fine view of the valley below and the 
Mediterranean Sea in the distance. From 
the end of the carriage road we went on 
ponies that waded up to their knees in 
ashes. The last furlong was necessarily 
traveled on foot, being too steep for even 
our sure-footed ponies to climb. We 
suffered great discomfort from the ashes 
which were being whipped and carried 
about by the force of the gale. Such 
a wind, the guides declared, seldom 
blew. But we were bound for the top, 

70 




o 
to 



and even when the guides fell on their 
faces we pushed on until the top was 
reached. The view of the interior from 
the rim of the crater was unlike anything 
we had ever imagined. It was hole — 
simply hole, big, black, empty and deep. 
We looked down into that yawning 
space as far as we could, and saw no 
bottom. 

"Let us return, or at least get back 
where the danger is not so great," said 
Professor Trotter. 

" Just a moment, Professor," pleaded 
Hewston Knight; **I think I see the stars 
and stripes waving there; is that the 
United States.?" 

We jumped and slid down the mountain 
side to where we had left the ponies. 
The ascent took nearly a half hour, but 
we came down over the same road in 
less than five minutes. Returning to 
our hotel we hastily disposed of the meal 
awaiting us and went to avail our- 
selves of the last opportunity offered 
in Naples to procure curios — and post- 
cards — for the folks at home. On this 

71 



occasion the curios comprised for the 
most part coral necklaces and tortoise- 
shell combs. The next place we went 
to visit was Terni, and in order to 
reach it we were compelled to double 
back to Rome, from whence the railroad 
runs. 

Arriving in Rome our party was in- 
creased by one, an addition which was 
heartily commended by us all. Miss 
Lucretia Singer, a friend of Mrs. Trotter, 
who had just completed a course of study 
in Rome, joined us for a short time. 
Having been debarred by travel from 
the privilege of paying attentions to 
any unmarried member of the fair sex 
for so long, we boys were delighted 
at the opportunity thus offered, and it 
is needless to say that Miss Singer did 
not lack for the most chivalrous atten- 
tions and plenty of them. Being an ex- 
perienced globe-trotter herself, and a 
really and truly American girl, she was 
accepted at once on the plane of good 
fellowship, and her musical talents, as 
well as many other accomplishments, 

72 




o 

d 
o 

O 

O 



made her presence in the party a pleasure 
to all. 

In Terni, where few tourists go, there 
is but one feature of interest — the falls, 
which make three leaps, their total fall 
being two hundred and eighty-eight feet. 
Their beauty so impressed us that we 
ignored conditions until we found our 
clothing saturated with the spray. About 
the time we arrived at the spot from which 
the best view is obtained, a heavy rain be- 
gan falling. Here the thrift of the peasants 
came into prominence again; from some- 
where in the vicinity there arose a number 
of them, each carrying a large umbrella, 
and we were not long left in ignorance 
of their intentions. For a mere trifle — 
twenty centesimi, or four cents — ^we could 
hire them to stand and hold the umbrella 
over us while we rubbered and shivered. 
Then we found what we had not observed 
before, the spray came from below us, 
and with the rain from above the in- 
dustrious and obliging peasants, however 
willing they might be, could do little to 
protect us. It was a wet and bedraggled 

73 



crowd that piled into the antique omnibus 
and huddled close together for warmth 
on the way back to the hotel. 

Another delightful spot rarely included 
in the itinerary of the tourist, at which 
we spent a long-to-be-remembered night, 
was Spoleto, where our hotel was the 
remodeled chateau of some duke of days 
long gone. In Spoleto the electric lights 
are turned off early in the evening. At 
the moment that this was done we were 
grouped in the great reception room, 
singing all the good old American songs 
we could remember, led by Miss Singer's 
clear soprano voice, to which one of the 
boys played an accompaniment on an 
ancient piano of Italian make; we were 
left in the soft light of the candelabra, 
reinforced by the fire's cheerful glow 
from the big, old-fashioned fireplace, 
which gave an indescribable charm to 
our surroundings. But it sort o' induced 
a feeling of homesickness, and here I 
might say that this was not the first 
occasion on which this experience had 
been felt. So we unanimously agreed 

74 







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to retire, and, to see just how far our 
voices could carry without a break, we 
sang with all the sentiment there was 
in us, "There's No Place Like Home." 
Gee, how I did wish I was at home that 
night ! 

The next day we left Spoleto, not 
without some regret. It is a quaint old 
village, romantic in the extreme, and more 
interesting to all who go there than many 
places far more widely known. Our 
purchases were limited, but one of the 
principal ones deserves mention — sl huge 
bamboo umbrella with a gaudy green top, 
aimed to accommodate four persons at 
one time. This became the prized pos- 
session of Hewston Knight, Miss Singer, 
and by later entry into the joint ownership, 
Mrs. Trotter. It proved in future times 
to be useful as well as ornamental, and 
its possessors became greatly envied. 
Somewhere it is now doubtless doing duty 
in a decorative way in some American 
"den." 

A couple of days were delightfully 
and profitably spent at Ravenna, the 

75 



home of Lord Byron from 1819 to 1821. 
The hotel where we stayed was the re- 
modeled home of the famous poet, but 
greatly to our disappointment and regret 
it contained not a single relic of its former 
owner. Ravenna also contains the mau- 
soleum of Dante, and the records therein 
contained show that the latter years 
of his life were spent here, until he died 
on September 14, 1321. The mausoleum 
is of comparatively recent construction, 
having been restored in 1780. Portions 
of the ancient palace of Theodoric the 
Great remain standing in the heart of the 
town. It was from this palace that many 
columns and marbles were taken to enter 
into the construction of the palace of 
Charlemagne at Aix-la-Chapelle. 

The first two of our four days' stay in 
Venice were spent indoors on account 
of the disagreeable weather. We saw 
nothing, and did nothing in the way of 
sightseeing, but the latter half of the visit 
was delightful and afforded us an oppor- 
tunity to see much of interest that we 
did not suspect Venice held. Naturally 
76 




Bronze Statue of King: Arthur 



the prominent idea associated with Venice 
is that of gondolas and gondoliers. These 
are a feature, of course, but there are 
many others. One is St. Mark's Square, 
where we followed the custom of all 
travelers and fed the pigeons that prey 
more gently but no less surely upon the 
tourist than do thousands of human 
grafters in every guise imaginable. It 
is, as its name indicates, merely a square. 
Not a tree or plant adorns it. Formed 
by the walls of St. Mark's Cathedral, 
the king's palace and other great and 
magnificent buildings, it is a bare space 
about two hundred feet each way. Thou- 
sands of pigeons claim it as their home, 
and indeed have no other. The protec- 
tion and provisions for their needs for 
many years have made them absolutely 
without fear. At the sight of the corn 
with which we were supplied at a stand 
presided over by a queer little old man, 
and for a tiny cone of which we pay five 
centimes, the birds flocked from all 
directions, resting on our arms, shoulders 
and heads and eating with apparent 

77 



hunger from our hands, although each 
feathered beggar was doubtless already 
bordering on a condition of coma from 
over-indulgence. 

St. Mark's Cathedral was being re- 
paired at the time of our visit, and all 
of its famed beauty that we saw was 
the wonderful mosaic designs in the 
arched entrance. Religious subjects are 
treated in these, and so fascinatingly, 
even to the untrained or inartistic eye, 
that we did not mind standing and looking 
up at them until our necks were stiff 
and sore. 

That portion of the famous Doges' 
Palace which was of greatest interest to 
us was occupied in the remote past by 
prisoners of both high and low degree, for 
whose accommodation hundreds of dun- 
geons were maintained. These dungeons, 
while not originally intended for sight- 
seers, are interesting nevertheless. It was 
not hard to imagine that in the time 
of their greatest use, more misery, more 
suffering, whether deserved or not, exist- 
ed in these dark, damp rooms than 

78 



could be housed in any modern institu- 
tion many times its size. The cells are 
in the lower floor of the palace. Above, 
the great council chamber and countless 
large, airy rooms, though now empty 
and bare, speak of a grandeur and lux- 
uriousness that is easy to be imagined. 
Among the art treasures the palace con- 
tains is an immense painting, the largest 
in the world, by Tintoretto. 

On our way in a gondola from this 
palace to Murano, an island which might 
be properly called a suburb of Venice, 
we passed through a section of the city 
inhabited by the poorer classes, and gained 
an insight into their way of living that 
taught us much. We saw a woman 
giving her little baby its bath, the plan 
employed being as original as it was 
novel. As our gondola neared the build- 
ing we saw the mother at a window 
tying a stout cord about the little one, 
whose voice was raised in vigorous but 
vain protest. When it was well secured 
she let the cord slide slowly through her 
hands, watching from the window until 

79 



the infant's body sank into the water. 
We called excitedly to our gondolier, 
thinking the woman intended to drown 
her offspring. He, however, showed his 
teeth in a knowing grin, said nothing 
but pushed the gondola closer that we 
might obtain a better view. Utterly 
oblivious to our curious stares, the mother 
soused the squealing youngster up and 
down until, evidently, she thought it 
was clean, when she drew it up to 
the window again. Soap and washrags 
seemed superfluities, and looking at the 
dark and ill-smelling water we could but 
wonder if her work was not in a large 
measure useless, after all. 

We paid an extended visit to the 
world famous Venetian glass blowers. 
The product of these shops, in the main, 
is medium priced and not notably pretty 
or artistic. The industry, however, is an 
extensive one, and by a liberal dispensa- 
tion of tips we gained access to a sufli- 
cient number of shops to get a good idea 
of the methods of manufacture. We 
discovered that the workmen had been 

80 



spoiled by having over-liberal tips be- 
stowed upon them, and that they expect 
many times the value of a little article 
made while one is watching the process, 
and which they "present" with an obtru- 
sive, overdone politeness. When disap- 
pointed in the amount given, they do 
not attempt to hide their vexation. 

The last evening in Venice we gave 
over to gondola riding, listening to the 
sweet voices of the Italians in the soft, 
mellow moonlight. It was an experience 
never to be forgotten, the height of 
luxury and the pleasing of every sense, 
as we reclined on the cushions of our 
splendid gondola, floating slowly with 
many others to an open space in the 
midst of which rested an immense barge 
filled with dusky troubadours. Each had 
his favorite instrument, and we enjoyed 
the singing and playing just as much as 
if we had understood the words. The 
inclination to sing was infectious; as we 
pulled away we broke into song ourselves, 
singing "Swanee River," **Good Night, 
Ladies," and many others; and at last 

81 



we couldn't help it any longer — every 
one of us joined in the sweet old song of 
home. 

Riding at anchor in the harbor on this 
evening was the Hohenzollern, Emperor 
William's private yacht, for he was 
shortly expected on a visit. 

We were loath to leave Venice and its 
numerous attractions, but finally suc- 
ceeded in tearing ourselves away and 
proceeded by rail and boat to Gardone. 
The next morning we boarded a charming 
little steamer and took a delightful sail 
over the blue Lago di Garda. On either 
side of our way were precipitous cliffs, 
each of which bore isolated monasteries. 
The scene opened before our delighted 
gaze not unlike the romantic and beauti- 
ful fiords in Norway. The mountains 
are clad in snow, we were told, about 
two-thirds of the year. 



8ft 




Cfjapter &ix 

AUSTRIA 

Riva — Innsbruck — Brenner Pass 

FTER staying a night in the pic- 
turesque town of Riva we 
boarded a little narrow-gauge 
train that took us up, up, seem- 
ingly into the clouds. Upon looking back 
the view was enchanting — the valley far 
below filled with little hamlets, the emer- 
ald lake that we passed near by, where 
the beauties of the scenery were en- 
hanced by the contrasts of colors around 
and above and below us. The narrow 
gauge stops at Mori, high in the moun- 
tains, and here we boarded the overland 
train for Innsbruck. The presence of the 
Austrian soldiers on all sides and at all 
times is impressive to a stranger; no less 
so was the costume of the soldiers, unless 



one would dignify it by the name of 
uniform. The pretty blue coat, seemingly 
worn with stays and fastened at the waist 
with a large belt and showy buckle, is 
made full like a skirt, giving to the 
wearer the appearance of being clad in a 
heavy, short petticoat. 

Life to the Austrians is apparently 
a thing to be enjoyed, and they make 
the most of it. The most that the 
Austrian Tyrol has to offer the tourist 
is scenery, but it is one of the grandest, 
sublimest and — to the majority of trav- 
elers — most enjoyable spots found on 
the continent. From Mori to Innsbruck 
we climbed along the sides of steep cliffs 
where the road had been blasted out of 
the solid rock, through Brenner Pass 
where Napoleon led his troops over the 
Alps, the highest point reached by a rail- 
road in the Alps Mountains. 

Innsbruck is a quaint, pretty old town 
surrounded by high, >«^ now-capped moun- 
tains. Through its »enter rushes the 
river Inn. In the Ho'kirche stands the 
bronze statue of King Arthur, surrounded 

84 



by many other statues, grouped about 
the grave of Emperor Maximilian. Lead- 
ing out of the town in all directions are 
paths that take one to the snow line. 
These are remarkable examples of the 
care and attention given roads and high- 
ways in Austria. Recently the sum of 
$40,000 has been spent in further im- 
proving them. Along them at frequent 
intervals, the tourist finds seats in spots 
that afford indescribable views, visions 
of a veritable fairyland. Occasionally 
the plaintive note of the cuckoo is heard, 
and here and there one may be refreshed 
by drinking from the pure, cool mountain 
streams. 



85 



i 




Cljapter ^eben 

GERMANY 

Munich — Rothenburg — Heidelberg — 
The Rhine — Cologne 

N Munich our party spent a 
week, and enjoyed every min- 
ute of the stay. We were at 
first a little taken aback at 
the sight of women cleaning the street, 
but soon became used to it. The feature 
of interest, from a student's point of view, 
at least, is the National Museum where 
some of the oldest relics and curios in the 
world are to be found. Among the most 
interesting to me was the splendid col- 
lection of ivories — carvings that were 
both beautiful and instructive, and various 
other things representing every age or 
step in the progress of man. 

A novel entertainment at Munich, 



which afforded us an opportunity to study 
the people of all classes, is the Hofbrau, 
a large three-story building in which 
the first or lower floor is reserved for the 
servants and poorer classes, who wait 
upon themselves; the second, a grade 
better — for the middle classes, while the 
top floor is designed as a place where the 
rich can spend an hour over their steins 
while enjoying rare music supplied by 
a large orchestra. All three sections of 
the Hofbrau are well patronized at all 
hours of the day and night. Munich 
has many lovely gardens and museums, 
which w^e visited. One thing noticeable 
in Munich is the extreme courtesy of the 
conductors on the street cars, upon 
receiving a tip. 

Rothenburg is a three-hour ride by 
train from Munich. While it possesses 
few things of marked interest, the author 
is at a loss to understand why it is over- 
looked by so many travelers. It is one 
of the most delightfully quaint old places 
we visited, and is said to be the least 
changed of all European towns from the 
: 87 



conditions of mediaeval times. The most 
fascinating piece of ancient beauty, where 
even on the rainiest days can be seen 
artists sketching and painting its perfect 
outlines, is the old gate of the Altes 
Rathaus, with its overhanging lantern 
and the quaintest vista that is to be seen 
on looking down toward the Plonlein. 
The journey from Rothenburg to Heidel- 
berg, down the valley of the Neckar, 
was made picturesque by the pretty 
hamlets and grass-grown hillsides. 

As our train wended its way through 
the valley toward Heidelberg, the rare 
beauty of its environments grew more and 
more impressive. The first view of the 
famed seat of learning, as well as of many 
a long-flourishing feud, leaves a recollec- 
tion that time does not readily efface. 
Heidelberg Castle, from its point of 
vantage in the hills above the city, forms 
the first setting in the beautiful panorama 
spread out before us. The tops of the 
buildings rise nobly among the green 
trees. Heidelberg has well earned its 
title — the Alhambra of Germany. We 

88 




-£3 



visited the university, although our stay 
was short, and found much of interest in 
the buildings and grounds — likewise in 
the students, wearing as many of them did 
little silk skullcaps to hide wounds re- 
ceived in duels. Many wore scars on 
their faces that they could not hide, 
and it was apparent to the most casual 
observer that they had no desire to do so. 
In the cellar of Heidelberg Castle, now 
in ruins with the exception of the portions 
that have been restored, we look with 
wonder and admiration upon the great 
wine cask of which every tourist has heard, 
though possibly has not seen. Its capac- 
ity is more than a quarter of a million 
bottles of wine, and tradition asserts 
that in times long gone by there was a 
demand for its utmost capacity. It has 
not been used for the purpose for which 
it was originally intended since 1769. 
We saw the overthrown tower which lies 
to-day as it was left by the soldiers of the 
army of Louis XIV when he left Heidel- 
berg a smouldering heap of ruins, more 
than two centuries ago. 



Starting from Mainz, our boat just 
drifted down the Rhine, the first stop 
being at Bingen — the home of the Soldier 
of the Legion before he went to war in 
Algiers; his birthplace, in fact, as we 
were reminded when the poet of the party 
pathetically declaimed the Fifth Reader 
selection, "For I was born at Bingen, 
at Bingen on the Rhine." 'Twas a pretty 
place to be born, and in which to spend 
a lifetime. Bingen itself is devoid of 
particular interest, but across the river 
on a height is a monument erected by 
Germany to commemorate the victories 
won by the emperor's troops in the 
Franco-Prussian war, the result of which 
was to secure the foundation of the 
German Empire. The monument is he- 
roic in size, and represents Germania 
holding a crown and sword, standing on 
a high pedestal of bronze. This is 
known as the national monument, and 
is pointed out by the Germans with 
ostensible pride. Here great crowds come 
every Sunday, bringing bands with them, 
and it seems they do not tire of sitting 

90 



for hours and complacently viewing the 
monument, while the bands play "Die 
Wacht am Rhine" and many other 
patriotic pieces. 

Taking a small boat maintained for 
the accommodation of sightseers, w^e vis- 
ited the Rheinstein Castle, about three 
miles down the river from Bingen. This 
is now^ owned by Emperor William, who 
has restored it so far as possible, and 
had it furnished complete with the armor, 
paintings, decorations and furnishings 
that belonged to it in the days when the 
original owners inhabited it six hundred 
years ago. Just w^ho these personages 
were cannot be ascertained, but they 
were the forbears of the present German 
nobility, and that is sufficient. Access 
to the castle is gained by a winding 
footpath that zigzags around through the 
prettiest scenery imaginable. Guides at 
the castle show visitors through the rooms, 
and our interest in their explanations 
was not lessened by the fact that our 
guides were a couple of good-looking 
German girls. When we reached the 

91 



highest "keep" or room at the top of the 
tower, a view was afforded which once 
enjoyed can scarcely be forgotten. Seated 
under the spreading yewtree that grows 
from one of the towers, Professor Trotter 
told us the legend of the Mouse Tower. 
The castle was restored in 1856. Its 
story interested us, and doubtless will be 
welcome to the reader. Bishop Hatto, 
as the legend runs, grew to be very 
wealthy and powerful among the Ger- 
man peasants. His besetting weakness 
was an insatiable greed, and this grew 
so great that the peasants considered it 
anything but a weakness. Coming to 
the conclusion that his tenants were using 
too great a quantity of corn, he gathered 
a large number of them into an immense 
barn and ordered the barn set on fire. 
All were consumed in a short time. 
When the building was doomed, thou- 
sands of rats, huge, ferocious and em- 
boldened by the spirits of the cruel bishop's 
victims, which had entered the bodies of 
the rodents, came from the burning walls 
and granaries, led by the boldest and 

92 



strongest, and descended upon the bishop 
in the Mouse Tower a short distance 
away. When their onslaught was stayed 
his lifeless remains were found upon the 
floor, bitten and clawed to death. This 
seemed to us like a rat story, and we 
were not told how it came to be called 
the Mouse Tower. 

Two hours' ride down the river brought 
us to the Lorelei, the huge rock that marks 
the spot immortalized by Heine and other 
poets. The Lorelei rock has been tun- 
neled for a railroad whose trains run 
through it daily. 

From the deck of the steamer we had 
distant glimpses of other ancient castles 
of more or less note, including the castles 
of The Brothers, Rolandseck, Ehrenfels, 
Saint Goar and Saint Goarhausen. The 
Rhine River in itself is anything but 
charming. It is muddy, turbulent, and 
seems to have taken upon itself the spirit 
that prompted the feuds and atrocities 
of the past, which it has been unable to 
shake off in its effort to keep up with the 
march of civilization. 
93 



At Cologne little time was spent, but 
we made the most of that at our disposal. 
The principal place of interest was the 
cathedral, begun in 1248 and not com- 
pleted until 1880. Its history, as out- 
lined to the class by Professor Trotter, 
was deeply interesting. Gazing on the 
great structure, the embodiment of art 
and architecture of ages, it was hard to 
realize the vicissitudes through which 
it had passed in the six hundred and 
thirty-two years of its growth — used at 
times for a stable, at others threatened 
with complete destruction. 

The last stage of our journey was 
filled with thoughts of going home, and 
it was with light hearts that we set out 
for Antwerp, from whence we were to 
sail for America. 



94 




Cfjapter tiqfyt 

BELGIUM 

At Antwerp — Then Off for Home 

[IKE the explorer of a new con- 
tinent who pauses before leav- 
ing it to take a last look 
around him, over scenes he may 
never be permitted to visit again, we 
devoted our last hours to seeing Antwerp. 
Its narrow streets held little that was 
inviting so we made at once for the 
cathedral whose spires Napoleon likened 
to a "piece of rare old Mechlin lace.^ 
In the pinnacles are a hundred bells of 
various size and many tones, the largest 
weighing eight tons. In the interior 
we saw Rubens' two celebrated paintings, 
"The Elevation of the Cross " and "The 
Descent from the Cross." 

Antwerp is a busy, bustling place, the 

95 



center of its industrial life being the 
wharves. The name of the town, by 
the way, in Flemish means "on the 
wharf." The Red Star liner Zealand 
which was to carry us to America and 
home, lay at the dock, and after sending 
our things aboard we spent the remaining 
daylight hours in walking up and down 
the long, wide promenade. Finally, as 
dusk grew deep we went aboard. The 
dock hands finished their labors, every- 
body who was not to sail went ashore, 
the gangplank was drawn in, the signal 
bells rang, orders came sharp and clear, 
and almost before we realized it, the 
Zealand was in motion. With scarcely 
a quiver or a thrill, leaving hardly a ripple 
on the quiet water astern, we glided across 
the harbor, looking back from the quarter- 
deck at the receding lights on shore, the 
magic spell that was upon us unbroken 
by a word. Across the water came the 
sound of the cathedral chimes; their soft, 
harmonious tones seemed the sweetest 
music we had ever heard, bidding us 
good-night and good-bye, a tender, kindly 

96 



benediction. We were happy — the world 
seemed so good to us. We had en- 
joyed months of pleasure, and felt that 
great benefits had been derived. But 
now everything else was forgotten, our 
thoughts were ahead, for we were bound 
for— HOME. 



97 




The Garden Series 

By CARRO FRANCES WARREN 

When completed will comprise SIX of the most fascinating, 
and at the same time uplifting and instructive stories for 
children ever written. The titles are: 

(1) Little Betty Marigold and Her Friends. 

(2) Little Polly Primrose and Her Friends. 

(3) Little Goldie Goldenrod and Her Friends. 

(4) Little Danny Dandelion. 

(5) Little Peter Pansy. 

(6) Little Topsy Thistle. 

Of these the first three have already been issued and 
Number Four will make an early appearance. 

Each volume will contain a page showing all the flowers 
mentioned in the story in all the beauty of their natural 
colors. These nature studies will be of great interest 
and value to every child reader. 

The many colored illustrations and handsome binding 
will make any or all of these volumes most attractive gift 
books for the children. They will be sold at a uniform 
price of 75 cents each. 

At all Booksellers or sent postpaid by 

The C. M. Clark Publishing Co. 

211 Tbemont Street :: Boston, Mass. 




Little 
Danny 
Dande- 
lion 



There's joy for every little 
reader in the announcement 
that "Little Danny Dande- 
lion," the fourth volume in 
"The Garden Series," will 
be the next to make its ap- 
pearance. 
Little boy readers will find "Little Danny" has a 
distinct appeal to them, introducing in its pages the 
healthy sports of boyhood, such as baseball and kmdred 
vigorous out-door games. 

Renewed acquaintance is made with the delightful 
little people already known to young readers of the other 
three volumes of the series and mingling in the sports and 
giving zest and humor thereto will be found Benny Bunny, 
BiUy Bullfrog, the Squirrel family and other friends. 

"Little Danny Dandelion" possesses an interest distinct 
from any of the other three volumes of the series, while 
maintaining all the charm of delightful scenes and associa- 
tions, and the volume will be the most joyously welcomed 
and more than meet every childish anticipation. 

Keep a close watch for "Little Danny Dandelion" 
and likewise for the fifth volume of the series, "Little 
Peter Pansy." Both will be issued during 1910, cloth, 
colored illustrations. Price, 75 cents. 

At all Booksellers or sent postpaid by 

The C. M. Clark Publishing Co. 
211 Tremont Street :: Boston, Mass. 



OCl 17 1910 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 



9c: If i'^t^j 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESaSl 

020 657 366 1 



